Castiel
by greg.white.5
Summary: Cas and Felicity have gotten themselves into a dangerous situation, and it's up to Oliver to race against time to save them. Meanwhile, Felicity is getting a hard, deep look into Cas's past, and it's not all happy memories and smooth sailing. Sequel to Novabird.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello folks, this is the sequel to my previous work, Novabird, which can be found here s/10304863/1/Novabird This story should still make sense if you haven't read Novabird, but I recommend starting there, as it gives a good background of my OC Castiel and how he meets Felicity and Team Arrow.**

**Anyhow, hope you enjoy this sequel, which will be entirely original content!**

* * *

Chapter 1 – In the darkness

His eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry. He struggled to gather his thoughts through the fog that clouded them, and quickly realised he must have been drugged. He sighed, marveling at the ignorance of his captors, then focused, as he had so many times before, using his mental capabilities to clear the haze over his thoughts.

Nothing happened. He frowned in confusion. That should've worked. He extended his senses out, and quickly realised his wrists and ankles were bound to the chair he was in. His focus moved upwards as he began to register a weight on his head. That was when he realised there was something metal resting on his brow, like a crown but tighter. His face screwed up in concentration as he attempted to undo the straps on his wrists, then lift the metal device on his head.

Neither attempt worked. He slumped back in resignation. Something was blocking his powers, and given their nature, he could only assume it was whatever was currently sitting round his head.

After giving up on immediate escape, he looked around the room he was in. It was dark, but not pitch black, and he could vaguely make out a shape in front of him. Just as he was trying to make sense of this, the shape stirred. He recognised the dainty groan of pain, and his heart sank. He tried to force his dry throat to work, and managed to croak out one word.

"F..Felicity..."

Her head rose slowly and he saw the soft glint of the tiny amount of light off of a strange metal device on her head. While he hadn't seen it, he assumed it was the twin to the one on his own head.

Her head rose, slowly, and he noticed her eyes were vacant. They slowly started to come into focus as her gaze landed on his face.

"Whass goin' ooon?" She mumbled confusedly, "_I just wanted a nice vacation, this is so not cool. I mean what are the chances of getting kidnapped? Oliver isn't even here."_

Even in such a dark situation, her internal rambling successfully brought a brief smile to his face. His mirth was replaced with shock when he realised she hadn't said that aloud.

"_Felicity, can you hear me?"_ He tried to project his thoughts towards her. Her eyes widened and she nodded nervously.

"_The device on my head is dampening my powers somehow," _he told her despondently, _"I can't get us free. Strangely though, I can still communicate with you mentally."_

She pulled a bemused face, staying silent. As he was contemplating this turn of events, he heard a door grind open somewhere to his left, and a figure slowly made his way into view.

He wasn't anyone Cas recognised. He moved with an easy grace that showed a lot of self confidence. To someone with Cas's experience and training, it also showed that he was a dangerous man. He held himself like a born warrior.

The stranger stepped close, bending down so he and Cas were at eye level, and spoke.

"Well well well, the infamous Novabird. For once I have not been misled. Good." He suddenly pulled a short metal rod from the inside of his jacket and poked Cas below the ribs. Pain ripped through his torso, causing him to cry out before he could control himself. He heard Felicity scream with him.

"Stop!" He managed to grind out between his teeth. "Please don't hurt her."

The man pulled back with a grin on his face. "Provided you do as I ask, Novabird, neither of you will be harmed further. I felt, however, that a swift lesson in what happens if you try to defy me was in order." His grin turned malicious, and he added, "The device on your head is really a fantastic invention. It was created by your former allies after the second world war, as a way to keep you in check. The second one was my own personal addition. Anything felt by one of you, is felt by both of you. Do you understand?"

Cas just nodded grimly, attempting to look meek and contrite. Inside, his mind was going haywire, trying to find a way out of this situation before Felicity was hurt any further.

His captor stepped forward again suddenly, reaching into his jacket again with the other hand and pulling out a needle. He swiftly jabbed Cas in the neck, and said, "In case you get any big ideas about escaping or saving your girl, we're keeping you drugged up to the eye balls. With the amount of this that's running through your system, I doubt you could do much of anything even if I removed your head piece." He chuckled to himself, and added, "Have a restful night, we'll start bright and early tomorrow."

* * *

After the men left the room, locking them in, Felicity gently tested her restraints. They were heavy duty, and very tight. She sighed. Abandoning the thought of escape, she let her mind drift back to the metal ring on her head. It was clearly designed as some kind of sick torture device, but she doubted the designers had considered the possibility that it would also link their minds the way it had.

As she considered the mental link, images started flashing through her head. Her eyes landed on Cas, and she realised his head was lolling to one side, the drugs they had given him were clearly rendering him almost completely senseless. After a moment, the images took over, and she lost consciousness.

_She opened her eyes. Before her was the inside of a wooden hut. As she looked around, she took in the firepit set into the wall, the hard cot off to one side. This was definitely not a modern home._

_Her eyes travelled to the centre of the room, and she gasped in horror. Lying across the floor was the body of a woman, no older than 21. She looked to have had her throat cut. Next to her was a small boy, maybe 6 years old, wimpering softly, gently tugging at the woman's clothes. Felicity moved closer, wanting desperately to comfort the boy. As she reached him, he turned and looked past her, causing her to recoil slightly. She recognised him. How could she not? Those sad, soft grey eyes that looked through her. The mop of jet black hair, the slim frame. This was Cas when he was a child. The horror of the situation hit her all the harder when she realised this. She must be in some sort of drug related fever dream, which meant that Cas was reliving this painful moment of his childhood. Her heart ached for him, and she collapsed to her knees in tears._

She jerked awake, slowly regaining her focus. Cas was still semi conscious, and she heard him moaning softly. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could guess. Her heart gave another pang of sorrow as the image of the distraught child she had seen resurfaced. Nobody deserved that sort of introduction into the world, and he had not only come out better for it, but had then survived nearly 2000 years of hardship, struggle and often pain to become the kind, caring, gentle man she had fallen in love with.

Felicity resolved to try and help him. She closed her eyes, concentrating on one of her happiest memories. She tried to push it towards him somehow, hoping that maybe he could see her memories the way she just saw his.

* * *

Cas was vaguely aware that he was still in a cell, tied to a chair opposite Felicity, but the drugs were messing with his mind and he felt himself drifting into old memories. The one that came back around most frequently was his mother dying. He had made peace with it centuries ago, but in moments like this, it still came back to haunt him. He tried to block out the rest of the memory, of the bandits raiding into their village, stealing their food and anything that looked valuable. He forced himself not to visualise the disgusting hulking man raping his mother before killing her. Felicity didn't need to see that, and he was certain she could see everything he could when the memories hit him.

As it became harder to keep the thoughts out, a warmth overtook him, and a different memory took the place of his own. He recognised it as coming from Felicity, and he calmed his mind, letting himself sink into it.

_Cas turned to grin at her playfully, before spinning back on the spot, raising Oliver's bow and shooting a perfect shaft shot. Earlier that evening, the Arrow himself had come stomping down into the lair, complaining that his arrows were losing their integrity, and that they needing to be trashed and replaced. Felicity just nodded, turning to her screens to place the order, but she noticed Cas had a playful look in his eye as he took the arrows from Oliver, allowing the younger man to head into the bathroom and change out of his green leather. As soon as he was out of the room, Cas snuck comically over to the bow, picking it up gently and strapping the quiver of old arrows to his back. He walked across the room to the target they had set up, and shot a bullseye. Felicity was about to clap politely, when he immediately followed it up with a second arrow that split the first right down the middle. Her clapping and small whoop of excitement were genuine at that point. That was when he turned to give her the playful grin, before repeating the feat again and again._

_Oliver stepped out of the bathroom in his casual clothes and noticed what was going on. His mouth dropped open in protest, but then he must have remembered that he ordered the arrows destroyed, because he laughed softly and shook his head._

_He bade them goodnight and left the lair just as Cas shot the last arrow. As he turned to walk towards her, Felicity was about to ask what he was going to do with the final unbroken arrow. He answered her question with a flick of the wrist, causing the arrow to split neatly into two, as if by magic._

_"I see you listened to my advice and brought a coat." He said jokingly, causing her to frown._

"_Only because you won't tell me where we're going tonight. Seriously, it's July, why do I need a coat?" She crossed her arms, trying to look stern, but broke quickly after seeing his face take on a look of excitement._

_He motioned for her to follow him, leading her up the stairs and out into the alley behind Verdant._

_Just as she was about to ask why they weren't heading towards her car, he swept her up into his arms without warning and took off into the sky. She squealed, partly in fear and partly in wonder, as they soared above Starling City. She noticed his face took on a look of concentration and she felt the wind lessen. It was still cold, given their sudden change in altitude, but at least it was bearable. She then felt the mild sickening feeling that she knew was associated with rapid acceleration, and she mentally asked, _'How fast are we going?'

_He looked at her with a wry smile, '_About 650 miles an hour,'_ he replied gently,_ 'I decided you most likely would not appreciate it if I broke the sound barrier.'

_She gave him a disbelieving look, before realising he was serious and rolling her eyes._

'So where are we going?'_ She asked innocently. She had noticed they were heading west, but past that she had no idea._

_He gave her a knowing look, but didn't reply. She fell silent, leaning against Cas's shoulder._

_After an unknown amount of time, he roused her from her light sleep. _

'We're here,'_ he thought, his thoughts laced with anticipation._

_As she opened her eyes, the amazing vista below came into focus. She gasped in wonder, for once at a loss for words._

_They landed gently, and she asked, "Where are we?"_

_"Japan," he replied, using the same soft, silky tone that he had when they first met, "A mountain south of Tokyo. I used to love it here, and I thought I would share that love with you. I doubt anyone else on earth has seen this view, as it is almost impossible to get up here on foot, and no flying vehicle could land anywhere nearby. It is almost like our own private paradise above the world. What do you think?"_

_She hesitated for a moment, too stunned by the beauty before her to form a sentence. When she finally did reply, all she said was, "It's perfect."_

_A relieved smile split his face. He took her hand and led her away from the cliff face she was gazing out from. As they reached a copse of bushes, she saw a cool box nestled among them. He pulled it out as he said, "It's lucky that it'll be light for a while, given the time difference. I thought you might like a picnic."_

_She watched in wonder as he laid out a blanket, before opening the cool box and pulling out a container of sushi rolls. She raised an eyebrow curiously, and he just shrugged and murmured, "When in Rome," which made her laugh out loud. It was then his turn to look inquisitively at her, and she managed to say "You would know," before dissolving into giggles._

_They ate happily, talking and joking about vigilante life, and how things had quietened down after Slade was defeated. Cas admitted he was glad Oliver had stepped back up as CEO of Queen Consolidated, and she once again asked him how Sara was doing, and when she would be back from Nanda Parbat._

_As the light faded and she felt her eyes getting heavy, he took her hand and led her through the bushes into a small patch of woodland. As she watched in amazement, he waved his hands above his head, and the trees bent and wove together into something akin to a roof. With another gesture, he had pulled a pile of wood together, and quickly bent down and lit a fire. Finally, he piled the thick dead grass into a soft pallet, setting the blanket down beside it. She stepped forward without thinking, placing a soft kiss on his lips. He smiled into it before returning the kiss. Her eyes took on a devilish look as she gently laid him down on the pallet and slowly dropped her coat._

_Later, as they held each other, both immensely happy but bone weary, she thought this could definitely be a candidate for the happiest moment of her life. It was so simple, but so perfect. She gazed at the man that had made it happen, wondering how she had gotten so lucky, not realising he was thinking exactly the same thing about her._

* * *

Cas smiled at the memory, feeling Felicity's joy through their bond. He remembered her curiosity at why he liked that particular mountain in Japan so much, and as he did, his own memories came to the fore once more, overtaking him before he could stop them.

_He could hear the rain beat down on the canopy above him as he shivered. He knew he shouldn't have accepted this insane mission. Fighting one mirakuru soldier was bad enough, but he was supposed to track them all down, lure them together, and somehow kill them. It was madness._

_He had laid a trail for them to follow. To the Japanese army, a chance to kill the Novabird was worth almost any risk. To them, he was the deadliest enemy they could imagine. If only they could see him now, huddling in his coat, trying desperately to keep warm as he hid from the super soldiers that were hunting him._

_Years later, he would remember this place as somewhere that gave him sanctuary in one of his darkest hours, but at that moment, he could think of nothing but exhaustion, his impossible mission, and how he had to do it all completely alone._

His eyes snapped open, feeling the memory fade again. He heard a muffled sniff and looked over to see Felicity crying softly.

'_What's the matter my love?' _he enquired gently,_ 'Please don't be afraid, I am going to get us out of this, I promise.'_

_'I'm not afraid,' _she told him firmly,_ 'But seeing your memories like that, it makes them so much more real. When you told me about your mission to kill those super soldiers, you made it sound so simple and easy. I had no idea how hard it was on you.'_

She paused for a second, then tentatively asked, '_How did you do it...in the end?'_

His eyes dropped, and she felt shame resonate through the bond. He didn't answer for a moment, staying silent. When he finally looked up, he avoided her gaze, and said,_ 'It was 1945, in the summer. The Germans had already surrendered, and the Allies decreed that Japan needed to follow suit quickly before more soldiers needlessly died. I used their plan to my advantage.'_

He gave her a pointed look, but she didn't follow,_ 'What happened in the summer of 1945?'_

He looked pained, as if he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, so instead just said,_ 'Would you understand if I told you that the place I lured them to was called Hiroshima? And that there were 5 stragglers who didn't make it that I fought and hounded all the way to another city called Nagasaki?'_

Her eyes widened in shock,_ 'So the two droppings of the atomic bomb were actually...'_

_'Cover-ups to neutralise the Japanese mirakuru warriors, yes.' _He told her darkly.

_'You're not responsible for their deaths Cas,' _she thought fiercely, knowing immedaitely that he blamed himself,_ 'The ones in charge, who gave the order, they did this. You just did what you had to to protect yourself and your country. You were a hero.'_

He laughed, but there was no humour in it._ 'My love, I truly hope you can keep that belief, but if my memories keep coming through as they are now, and you see my life...all of it, as it really happened, I fear you will change that opinion.'_

She shook her head angrily, and spoke aloud, "Nothing could change how I feel about you Cas. I know the person you are, and no amount of bad life experiences could convince me that you are anything but good._  
_

They lapsed into silence, and she fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

**So, chapter 1 was a bit on the heavy side. I'd love to know what you lovely folks think. Also, while I have a lot of ideas that I want to fit into this, if anyone has any suggestions of things they want to see, send them my way, and I will do my best! Again, this will be entirely original content after season 2, so most likely AU when season 3 is released.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – 4 Months ago

"Hi honey, I'm home," Felicity called playfully as she dropped the groceries on the counter.

"In here," she heard him call from the study. She had been staying at his apartment more and more recently, and he had even split her off a decent portion of closet space and her own drawers in both the bedroom and the bathroom. Because of this, she knew her way around fairly well, and she made quick work of putting the food in its designated places before going into the study.

The sight that greeted her almost made her choke with laughter. Cas was stood in front of his own computer, which she had appropriated and given the necessary modifications to bring it up to her standard, looking thoroughly bewildered. As she got closer, she saw the source of his confusion, a warning icon in the middle of the monitor, flashing red. She stepped past him, tapping away at the keyboard quickly, and the warning vanished.

As she then turned to face him, the laughter she had stifled came back in full force. His expression was one of amazement, as if she had solved some sort of impossible mystery.

"It was a virus scan Cas…" She told him, only slightly mockingly, "It's nothing to worry about, my firewall kinda protects itself, it's clever like that. You can relax."

He looked slightly sheepish and muttered, "I missed the entire technological revolution…it's just my luck that there have been more technological advances in the last 30 years than in the preceding 2000, and I spent all of it living in the wilderness like a caveman."

Felicity's expression softened and she brought a hand up to cup his cheek.

"Hey, you're not a caveman at all. You are a refined gentleman, with excellent taste in basically everything, and impeccable manners…" She paused, "That said, you have the computer skills of a neanderthal…I mean literally as in homo-neaderthalensis, the cousin to humans…you know, because they're not around anymore…I wasn't calling you stupid, you're far from stupid…in fact you can be annoyingly smart, not that you're annoying, you're always great company and it kinda weirds me out sometimes just how well we get along, it's cool and all, but don't couples argue or disagree or something…never mind, I'm shutting up now…how have you still not learned to shut me up…I mean come on, it's been what, like 6 month…"

Her ramble trailed off as he stepped forward and kissed her. She was momentarily surprised, but quickly recovered and responded, placing her hands at the back of his neck. After a while, they gently broke apart and she smiled lazily, mumbling, "Finally, he's learning," before pulling him in again.

* * *

"Okay, we're onto season 7 of Doctor Who," She told him excitedly, "This one's really intense, and I warn you now, you will cry. There are some really sad moments, and you'd have to not be human not to weep...I know I've said that a few times already and you've proven me wrong every time, but this will be different."

He shrugged apologetically, "Perhaps after 20 centuries, crying over TV shows is a little more difficult my dear. Or maybe I struggle to empathise with a time travelling alien with 2 hearts."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, other than the alien bit, you are _so_ similar to the Doctor. He's old, and wise, but looks young, and he's seen and done things normal people couldn't imagine. Sounds like you to me." She gave a triumphant grin.

Seeing her smile always succeeded in putting a smile on his face to match it, and he replied, "Well maybe this season will be different, but please don't ruin it again...what's the word that his wife uses...ah yes, no _spoilers._"

She didn't answer, instead just making a zipping motion across her lips, and was about to stand up and put the DVD in, when she saw his head snap to the doorway into the foyer. She knew he was sensing rather than seeing something, so she waited, and as she expected, 5 seconds later, the elevator dinged.

The person who stepped into the living room, smiling shyly in a leather jacket, dark jeans and boots, was the last person Felicity expected to see, and as soon as it registered in her mind, she squealed in delight and practically launched herself across the room.

"Sara!" She cried as she enveloped the girl in a fierce hug.

Cas followed her at a more measured pace, a small smile of relief on his face.

"Nihao mei mei," he said softly as he reached her, hugging her gently with one arm as he kissed the top of her head.

"Hey you guys," Sara began, looking relieved to see them, "I just got back to Starling this morning. How is everyone? Have I missed anything?"

Felicity tapped her chin as she pretended to think deeply, "Let's see...Oliver is still all broody and heroic, Cas is still CEO of QC. Diggle is still expecting a child..."

"And Felicity and I are still sickeningly happy together," Cas finished with a wink. "How was Nanda Parbat?"

"It was...fine, I did some contracts for them, tried to use what you taught me and achieve their objectives without killing anyone, which kinda worked most of the time...and they said I could go a bit early." She shuffled her feet nervously. "So, uh, can I ask you guys a favour?"

Cas nodded after a moment, realising she wasn't going to ask until he did so.

"Could I stay with you for a little while? I don't want to inconvenience my dad in his tiny place, and Laurel and I are still not quite on perfect terms." She trailed off, waiting.

The look Cas gave her was mildly disapproving, and she was worried for a moment, until he said, "Of course you can little one, I don't know why you were worried, the guest room is yours for as long as you need it."

She visibly sagged in relief, "Thank you. I wasn't sure, what with you guys being so close, whether you'd want a house guest." She glanced at Felicity before adding, "I don't want to..get in the way."

"You're never in the way," Felicity chimed in, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Besides, we stay at my place sometimes too, so you won't get sick of us or anything."

The smaller blonde smiled gratefully, then moved further into the room. "So, what are we watching?"

"Doctor Who," Felicity said quickly, her excitement returning, "Cas hadn't seen it before, so we've been watching it from the start every time we get chance."

Sara laughed, "Why am I not surprised? Well come on old man, sit down so we can get started!"

Cas shook his head wryly, but did as she ordered, taking his seat and waiting for Felicity to put the DVD in and sit back down, snuggling in next to him.

* * *

Cas stepped off the stairs into the newly rebuilt foundry and looked around. He was constantly amazed at how much better it looked after they had taken the time to rebuild it after Slade's attack.

"You're looking sharp this morning Mr Grey," came the cheeky voice of Thea from Felicity's computer chair. She was lounging contentedly with a smirk on her face. "What's the occasion? You and Felicity got a hot lunch date?"

He rolled his eyes, "Nothing so fun I'm afraid Thea, I have a meeting at the office to begin transferring control of the company back to your brother." He paused, walking past her, " And can you please get used to calling me Cas, or Castiel even, Mr Grey is so formal, and it makes me feel old."

"Sorry, _Mr Grey,_ but you kind of take the cake on the whole old thing." She saw him wince slightly, "But I'll try."

He nodded gratefully, "Where is everyone? I was expecting Oliver at least, but surely the team should be here?"

Thea rolled her eyes dramatically, "Mr Diggle's at home with his pregnant ex wife, as ususal. Ollie's been giving him more time off since they found out. I think Ollie is with Laurel, and Roy is running an errand for me."

Another nonchalant nod from Cas. He hadn't noticed the devilish glint in Thea's eyes, so he was surprised when she suddenly said, "You know Laurel has a thing for you right?"

His eyes narrowed in confusion, "I doubt it," he said softly, "From what I've seen, her finding out that Oliver is the Arrow has just made her fall for him all the more."

"She talks about you all the time you know." Thea responded impishly, smirk still in place, "So does Roy actually, apparently you helped him a lot when he was dosed on that mirakuru stuff. Ollie even told me if it weren't for you half the city could've been levelled. They all think you're a hero."

"That turned serious quickly," he replied wryly.

"I get the impression you don't really realise you're a big damn hero, so I decided to take the opportunity to tell you."

He smiled and raked his fingers through his hair, not knowing what to say. He decided to change the subject, "How are things with you and Roy?"

Thea huffed, examining her nails, and said "He's still in trouble for lying to me for so long."

"I hope you're not punishing him too harshly," Cas replied absentmindedly, his mind already wandering.

"Oh don't worry, it's the kind of punishment he likes," she said slyly, wiggling her eyebrows. Cas's eyes widened when he processed what she had said.

"Please tell me you have not even hinted at this in front of your brother!" Cas admonished her, "You realise Roy will likely turn up face down in the bay if Oliver suspects anything of the sort." He paused, a half smile on his face as he added, "You've grown up into a real firecracker haven't you, young Miss Queen. I hope poor Roy can keep up."

"Keep up with what?" Oliver called as he descended the stairs, causing Thea to jump out of her skin and open her mouth like a fish.

"Keep up with you now that he is no longer mirakuru infused, "Cas replied instantly, without hesitation. Thea mouthed a silent thank you and turned back to face the monitors, blushing slightly.

"He'll be fine," Oliver said calmly, not picking up on the tension, "Ready to head up to the office?"

"Of course," Cas told him with a smile, "I can't wait to relinquish your company back to you. Will your mother be there?"

"She will. After we officially brought her back to life...legally speaking...she accepted a position on the board of Queen Consolidated, effective after I return as CEO."

"Well, we'd better not keep them waiting, come along!" Cas strode quickly back up the stairs as he spoke, giving Thea a lazy wave over his shoulder.

* * *

Felicity panicked slightly as she attempted to will the dinner to cook faster by sheer concentration. She knew Cas would be home any minute...he was impeccable with his punctuality...and the surprise meal she had planned wasn't going well. The table was set in a classic ensemble with a hint of her zany bright colour hidden in it, and the lights were dimmed, allowing for some lovely ambience.

But none of that mattered if the food wasn't cooked. She huffed at the oven again, wondering if she could somehow shave 10 minutes off of the cooking time. That was when she had an idea. Pulling out her phone, she texted Cas quickly, hopefully killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

_Can you pick up a bottle of red on your way home please? I feel like a glass after the office today_

She waited for a reply, but sadly there was none. She continued preparing the food, and hardly noticed that he was a little late. She dished the food up and walked out into the dining room, momentarily surprised to see him stood by the table, bottle of wine in hand, face set in a mask of...something, she couldn't quite work out what. Somewhere between awe, love and admiration.

Seeming to regain his composure, he softly said, "Hi honey, I'm home," before placing the wine on the table and stepping forward, dropping a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Something smells delicious." He remarked kindly, "Did you cook?"

"I did...first time for everything, not that I've never cooked...duh I'd have starved by now...but I think this is the best I've ever cooked...like _ever_ so I hope you like it." She bit her lip nervously and rushed back into the kitchen, bringing out her concoction.

"What is it?" Cas asked as she placed his in front of him.

"I call it the MIT surprise." She replied innocently, "I made it at college once, by accident, and it was so good I made it again and again. It's kinda my only recipe that isn't just mac and cheese."

"What does it contain?" He asked curiously.

"Sorry, trade secret," She told him, waggling a finger jokingly. "Try it."

He looked hesitant for a moment, before taking a small bite. His eyes widened.

"This is like nothing I have ever eaten," he began quietly, "But it is _fantastic._"

She laughed. He cocked his head inquisitively, and she said, "You realise you said fantastic _exactly_ like the Ninth Doctor right? I thought you did it on purpose." He shook his head, "You're kinda proving my point that you're just so like the Doctor. I wish you had a TARDIS."

It was his turn to laugh, "A time machine would be far more trouble than it is worth my dear, at least from what Tesla told me."

"Tesla?!" She replied incredulously, "You met Nikola Tesla?"

"In London, about 1885," he said, shrugging nonchalantly, "We weren't friends or anything like that, I simply attended one of his lectures."

"I'm still totally jealous." She told him, brandishing her fork at him with narrowed eyes. "What did you talk about?"

He opened his mouth to tell her, but was interrupted by his phone ringing. He pulled it out with a frown, which only deepened when he saw the number, and he answered, "Grey," in a very clipped tone.

"I understand," he said measuredly into the phone, "I will be there first thing in the morning."

"What's the matter?" She enquired softly as he hung up.

"That was Amanda Waller," he explained distractedly, "She wants me to consult on a mission for A.R.G.U.S. Apparently there is an extremely dangerous warlord in Nigeria that needs dealing with."

"That's a good reason to help A.R.G.U.S right?" She asked, already suspecting his answer.

"I will be away for at least a week, most likely two." He told her sadly, "And even if you wanted to drop everything and just come with me, which I cannot imagine you do, it will be far too dangerous for me to have company."

"So this is our last night together for a while?" She asked with a sigh.

He nodded.

"Well then, we'd better make the most of it." She told him firmly, returning to her dinner.

He grinned, deciding to break his rule about not eavesdropping, and read her thoughts. He was not disappointed by what he saw, and he shook his head in amusement as he ate.

Later, as they lay together in the dark, both falling asleep, she whispered, "Please come home safe," so quietly he barely heard her.

"I will, I swear." he replied softly. "I love you."

* * *

**So this chapter is set 4 months before chapter 1, hence the name, and about a month after Slade is defeated. Which means they were kidnapped 5 months after season 2 ended...leaving me maybe a month of leeway if I want to tie into season 3...if not, AU FTW!**

**Either way, I hope you enjoyed this installment, I took the idea from DarknessKnight suggesting I look at how Cas might cope with integrating back into normal society. Also he and Felicity are just cute, and I didn't give Thea much screen time in Novabird, so I'm going to try and remedy that here.**

**As always, a review would be lovely, good or bad, and I'll try to update again soon :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello all. Sorry for the gap in this story. I've been both busy and uninspired for a few weeks now, but I'm back, and my housemate encouraged me to keep writing.**

**I hope you enjoy this installment in the Novabird sequel. As always, reviews keep me going, and any feedback is appreciated.**

* * *

Chapter 3 - I Once Was a God

Felicity was starting to feel a little bit high, which was most likely a residual effect of how much Cas was being dosed with bleeding through the device on her head. She didn't know how long it had been since they were first brought here, but she suspected no more than a day. She had noticed an increase in fever dreams from Cas as the hours wore on, as if he had been resisting them at first, but was struggling to do so more and more.

She was slightly worried. While she meant what she had said, that nothing in his life could change her feelings, part of her didn't want to know every details of his incredibly long past. It didn't seem necessary to her, she knew how she felt.

As she thought this, another memory assaulted her, and she braced herself internally.

_Cas strode across a battefield cockily, wearing green leather with gold trimming and a gold helmet. Beside him was a blonde man, a few inches taller than him and very muscular. As they walked, a group of warriors wearing fur and brown leather, holding an assortment of swords and axes, looked up. As one, the men froze when they saw who was approaching. Cas was slightly ahead, and he spoke._

_"Kneel before your gods, tiny mortals."_

_Felicity gasped. Cas was speaking a language she didn't recognise, but she could understand every word as if it was English. She was shocked at the cold, menacing tone he used, and wondered what he had meant._

_As one, the collection of warriors sank to their knees, heads down. The one furthest forward spoke._

_"O great Loki, son of Odin, we are honoured by your presence. What would you have us do?" The man shook slightly as he spoke, clearly terrified._

_The blonde with Cas spoke up, "There is a tribe, to the North West of here, who refused to pay proper tribute to their gods. Our father believes they are corrupt, and may be in service to the ice giants. Will you follow us, and take up arms as we take righteous retrubution?" He phrased it as a question, but his tone left no doubt it was an order._

_Every man placed hand on heart, and in unision said, "For Thor, for Asgard."_

The memory faded, being replaced with another.

_Cas sat on what could only be described as a throne. The one that the fighters had called Thor sat beside him, and both were swigging from tankards, laughing. They were alone in a great long hall, and Felicity realised everyone else must have left._

_Their mirth subsided, and Cas spoke, "A fine haul today my friend. I told you those villagers were hiding something." He hold up his tankard, and the other man clinked his against it._

_"You were correct my friend. When you told me your idea to pose as Norse gods, I thought you mad, but this venture has proven far more lucrative than I could have ever imagined. These are the dark ages after all."_

_"I still sometimes struggle to believe that these people have been so easy to fool. A quick show of your strength, my tricks of the mind, and they fall to their knees before us." He laughed loudly, "If you were long lived, as am I, we could carry this on for decades."_

_"I have lived for 50 years so far my friend, who's to say I'm not?" Thor replied cockily. "Still, I grow bored of these people already, perhaps soon we should move on. We have plenty of riches. We could head east, set up somewhere within the old Roman empire, and live like kings."_

_Cas's demeanour turned dark. "No, the empire is out of the question. Perhaps we should follow Kiev Erikson's leave and sail to the new world."_

_Thor looked at him sideways, an eyebrow raised, "I think you've had too much mead my friend. I'm calling it a night. We must be gone before the soldiers are awake in the morning, or our deception will be discovered."_

_Cas nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he sat in his throne._

Felicity's eyes snapped open, and she looked at Cas in horror. He was staring straight back, a look of consternation, laced with fear, on his face.

"What exactly was that?" She asked slowly, not sure whether to believe what she had seen.

He hesitated, then sighed. "In the 9th century, I met a man with super human strength somewhere in modern Norway. He was the first superhuman I had met besides myself, and we decided to travel together. We posed as Thor and Loki to trick and scare the locals into worshipping us. They gave us food, gold, anything we wanted. One village even built a long hall with a throne room just for us."

"So you used them, for money? Are you serious? Why?!"

He shrugged, looking even more uncomfortable. "We thought it amusing."

Her mouth fell open, "Oh my god, is this what you meant when you said I wouldn't feel the same way about you when I knew?"

"It is part of it." He replied candidly, breaking eye contact.

"Tell me one thing, and don't dodge the question. Why did you do it?"

"I was 800 years old, with the strength of 10 men and some interesting mind trick abilities. I was a god among men, and I had nothing to keep me in check. I don't have an excuse, I wasn't coerced, or forced, I just didn't know any better. It took a hell of a lot for me to get from there to where I am now."

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to process what she had just found out. When she opened them, she said, "I can't pretend I understand, or that I approve, but we can talk about it when we get out of here. It'll be a conversation, so don't think I've made up my mind about you because of one memory, okay?"

He nodded, sighing in relief.

* * *

"Good morning Mr Grey." Came Moira's voice as she walked into the foyer of the Queen mansion. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thank you," he responded with a smile, "Although I'm not overly fond of everyone calling me Mr Grey."

"My apologies, but there's something about you I can't quite place," she seemed to shake herself, "Now, won't you join me in the living room, I have a proposal I'd like to run by you."

He nodded, strolling casually after her. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Thea sitting on the sofa. She stood as he entered, giving him a small smile, but looking as confused as he felt.

"I've asked you both to meet me because I have an idea in mind," Moira began as Cas sat down, "As you know dear, Castiel has just handed control of Queen Consolidated back over to Oliver, and as well as now being mayor, I am on the board of directors. Because of this, we both have almost no free time."

She turned to Cas before continuing, "Because of this, I'm concerned that Thea isn't necessarily getting the opportunities for learning and progression that she deserves."

Thea opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again as Cas nodded thoughtfully. "What did you have in mind?" He asked slowly.

"Well, since Thea is running Verdant, as she has been for over a year now, I thought it might be good for her to learn the processes behind running a large business. Who knows, a brand as strong as that club is becoming could become a national franchise."

Thea blinked, "Wait, you approve of me running Verdant? I thought you didn't want me working in a club?"

"At first yes, but seeing how you have flourished in this business, I cannot deny that it is a good thing. And you certainly have been successful. I just don't want you to hit a wall and be unable to grow."

"So, where do I come in?" Cas asked innocently.

"Perhaps you could take her under your wing, now that you're no longer running Queen Consolidated." Moira suggested, "I am led to believe you have other local holdings, including a large chain of restaurants, some of which are in the city. Am I right?"

He nodded with a wry grin, "I'm impressed. Your information is, as always, completely accurate." He stood, waiting for them both to do the same. "I'd be happy to work with Thea. If that's okay with you of course?" He added, looking at the younger Queen.

She seemed to hesitate, then nodded firmly.

"Good, well I'll let you two talk about the details, I have a meeting at city hall. Good day."

After Moira had left, Thea turned to face Cas and said, "I appreciate the thought, and I know my mom means well, but I don't just want to learn business. I'm doing pretty well running Verdant on my own."

He smiled wryly, "While I am of the opinion that one can always learn more, I am curious as to why you agreed if you feel this way."

She took a deep breath, then said, "I want to learn to fight."

It was his turn to blink, "Why come to me? Surely your brother, or Sara, would be better candidates."

Thea rolled her eyes, "Oh please, my brother wouldn't let me anywhere near the training area. And he wouldn't let Sara teach me either. I'm asking you because you're not technically part of their little team, so you can teach me without my brother knowing."

"What makes you think I know how to fight like that?" Cas asked innocently, "I have enormous power, what need would I have to learn to fight the conventional way?"

"Good point," Thea replied, nodding along, "And I'd totally believe you...if your girlfriend hadn't told me about when you held your own in a sword fight with super Slade the psycho. Or when I spied on your guys sparring and watched you take down both Roy and Mr Diggle by yourself. You're good, admit it. I just want to learn to defend myself. Please, I'm sick of always being the victim."

The earnest tone of her voice, along with the pleading look in her eyes, made him relent. "Of course, I'd be glad to teach you. I will also be teaching you business acumen as well. If your mother believes Verdant is a potentially lucrative franchise opportunity, who am I to argue?"

She groaned, covering her eyes dramatically, "Oh my _god_, I always hated school."

"This won't be like school young one, you can shadow me. I will expect you to learn quickly, both in business, and in martial arts. I should also warn you, I was trained by the Shaolin monks in the 14th century, so my training methods may seem unorthodox."

Her eyes widened comically, "Seriously?! I'm going to be trained by an actual shaolin monk. That is so _cool_."

He couldn't help but laugh. Bidding her goodbye, he headed home.

* * *

Later that evening, he and Felicity were enjoying pizza on the couch, with an episode of Supernatural playing in the background, catching up on their day.

"So, a potential investor came by the office today. A guy named Ray Palmer. He had a lot of really cool ideas for the Applied Sciences department, and I think Oliver is considering a merger with his company. Do you know anything about him?"

Cas looked away from the TV, replying, "From what I've read he is a shrewd business man, but enjoys a joke. I'm told he can be capracious, but as long as Oliver doesn't trust him with anything big or dangerous, I see no issue."

She smiled as he said that, looking relieved, "Good, because QC kinda needs investors right now." She paused, playing with her pizza crust, before asking, "So what happened at the Queen Mansion this morning?"

He looked surprised for a second, and she added, "I bumped into Moira, she told me she had seen you and Thea earlier, so I just wondered what might constitute the three of you meeting that early?"

"It's nothing really, Moira just wanted me to take Thea under my wing...in business terms I mean. She has high hopes for Thea's career, now that she's running Verdant so successfully, and she believes I can help facilitate her continued growth and improvement. I was more than happy to oblige."

Felicity grinned, leaning against him and returning her focus to what was going on in front of her. "That's lovely of you. That girl has a lot of potential, and most of the people in her life have let her down. It'll do her good to have someone consistent, someone grounded, to show her the ropes."

He stroked her hair softly and said, "Is that how you see me? You make me sound like some sort of father figure."

She clamped her mouth shut, glancing up at him nervously, and he frowned. "Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head, "Not at all, I just realised I never asked if you've ever had kids."

His eyes took on the faraway look she had come to know very well, and he was silent for a while. She almost thought he wasn't going to answer, when finally he spoke up.

"I did, when I was young. Before I knew what I was." He stopped there.

"What happened?" She asked quietly, "Did you just have one?"

He shook his head, "Two, a boy and a girl. The boy, Marcus, was a Roman Legionnaire, and he died in combat when he was 19. The girl, Alexis, married a merchant and lived a long and happy life."

Felicity covered her mouth in horror at what happened to his son, then felt a small amount of relief that his daughter lived well...until she realised the implications.

"She died of old age?" She asked gently.

He nodded. "After that I realised I shouldn't have children. Nothing can compare to the pain of burying your child."

She swallowed. Felicity had never given the subject of children much thought, especially since she hadn't had any particularly successful or long term relationships. Now she was in one, the thought came to her from time to time, as it probably did to most women her age. So to be told that children were off the table was a shock to her. She reprimanded herself for being surprised, he was immortal, what did she expect. Suddenly she was very aware of her mortality, a thought that chilled her right to the bone.

"Hey, stop that." Cas said softly, before pressing a kiss to her temple. "We don't know what the future will hold, so don't worry about it. I'm sorry to drop that on you."

"It's okay," she replied instantly, "I just have some stuff to think about."

He nodded slowly, deciding to let the topic lie.


End file.
